04 13b Spoilers
by NewDrWhoFan
Summary: Here's a surprise: CONTAINS S4 SPOILERS! Sequel to The Journey Continues. A 10-ish/Rose explanation of "Silence In the Library" and "Forest of the Dead". Work in progress.
1. Hey, That Looks Kinda Familar

_This sort of follows on from "Through the Gloom and Doom" and "The Journey Continues," but should make sense on its own. Mostly, it's an explanation for "Silence In the Library" and "Forest of the Dead" -- and it's completely Human-ishDoctor/Rose as far as romance is concerned!_

_Um, CONTAINS SERIES 4 SPOILERS! If you couldn't tell._

_Thanks much to GSRgirlforever and NotTheTinDog for beta'ing!_

_Disclaimer: Surprise, surprise, I don't own Doctor Who. Nor do I get anything from writing these stories--except wonderful, constructive reviews! Wink, wink; nudge, nudge ;)_

--

**Chapter 1, Hey, That Looks Kinda Familiar**

The Doctor walked into Rose's room in the Tyler mansion, stepping carefully over the half-filled boxes and suitcases on the floor. They'd just gotten back from their honeymoon in Barcelona--the city, not the planet--and were packing up to move into their new house.

Well, Rose was packing. The Doctor's possessions were still limited to the suit he'd arrived in (with well-stocked pockets) and the small wardrobe he'd acquired after his and Rose's shopping trip.

Rose was kneeling on top of an overstuffed garment bag, trying to work the zipper up the side.

"Need some help?" the Doctor asked, crouching down beside her.

"Yeah, pull that zip up, will ya?" she asked, climbing fully on top of the bag, lending all her weight on her hands and knees.

With the added pressure, the Doctor was able to successfully close the bag.

"Thanks," Rose told him, rolling off the bag and sitting on the floor. "Regular luggage is a pain," she said, smiling at him.

The Doctor didn't share her amusement. "I'm sorry we lost the duffle," he told her. It had been a gift from the TARDIS, when she'd packed up Rose's room for her: a nice over-the-shoulder duffle bag . . . that was bigger on the inside.

Unfortunately, it was too long to carry on the plane--yes, this earth still used airplanes; zeppelins were more for show than for speedy transportation--and the bag had to be checked. And then lost.

"They still might find it," Rose consoled, climbing to her feet, and moving to her bookcase.

The Doctor joined her as she pulled up an empty box and began transferring the contents from the shelves.

His eyes were drawn to a book that sat on top of the case. "What's that?" he asked, his throat suddenly dry.

"Oh," Rose said, picking up the blue-bound book. "This is the journal I told ya about," she said. "I think I've got just about all the places we went in here. Anythin' excitin' or important, anyway."

She recounted how she'd gotten it when she was first stuck here, and how she used to write in the journal every morning for the first couple of years she was in Pete's world. Until she got distracted by the real possibility of getting back to him with the Dimension Cannon, that is.

But the Doctor was only half listening. The journal's cover had been worked into a rough representation of the TARDIS. He'd seen it before, although he hadn't been allowed to read it.

_Spoilers_, he'd been told.

--

_To be continued._


	2. Didn't Expect That

The guest aliens in this chapter were inspired by the Taldor in a Stargate SG-1 episode entitled, "Prisoners".

And I sure don't own SG-1. Oh, the things I could do if I did!

--

Stay with me on this chapter. There's a bit of time skimmed over from the previous chapter, but the gaps'll eventually be filled in . . . mostly.

--

Chapter 2, Didn't Expect That

They'd been travelling in their new TARDIS for almost five years before they met the Omnipotens.

Since the TARDIS had been pulled out of her flight mid-vortex, and the Doctor had no clue when or where they'd ended up, standard procedure dictated that Em stayed behind with Jack (officially "John, Jr.", but they never called him that) to watch Sue, while Rose and the Doctor ventured out into the unknown.

If all was well, the kids wouldn't have to wait long. If not, well, in a worst case scenario, the TARDIS would bring them back to Grandma Jackie and Grandpa Pete.

--

Things looked peaceful enough, as Rose let her husband lead her from the TARDIS. Grassy hills dotted with trees, white, puffy clouds in a blue sky; it actually looked very much like earth. Until the blinding, white light surrounded them.

When her vision returned, Rose found herself standing next to the Doctor in the center of what looked like an auditorium. However, there was no audience--at least, none that she could see. She tightened her grip ever so slightly on the Doctor's hand, as they stood almost back-to-back, scanning their surroundings.

"Hello?" Rose called, hearing her voice echo back to her.

"Anybody here?" asked the Doctor to the emptiness.

"Time Lord," a booming voice announced, "you are not welcome in this universe. Here, the Omnipotens rule, and your interference will not be tolerated. Will you leave voluntarily?"

The last seemed to be more of a warning than an actual question.

"Um, love to," said the Doctor, "'cept, you see, I don't exactly know how."

A murmured conversation sprang up around them, as if dozens of voices were quietly but violently debating what the Doctor meant, and what they should do about it.

Finally, the first voice commanded, "Explain."

The Doctor turned to Rose, and said quietly, "Not the Omnisciens, then. Long version, or short version?"

"Short," she answered, with a roll of her eyes.

"Okay," he told her, then answered in a loud voice, "I'm the only Time Lord here, so I can't exactly make a bridge back to my home universe. That, and I'm really only part Time Lord, part human, so I'm not sure how accurate my navigating would be even if I found a stable path." He looked back at Rose. "Short enough?"

"Works," she told him with a shrug. Question was, would it be good enough for their captors/hosts/interrogators?

Apparently, it was. "We will send you," the booming voice thundered. "Do you intend to resist?"

"Just a moment," the Doctor answered, then turned again to confer with his wife. "What do you think?" he asked.

"Doesn't look like they're gonna give you much of a choice. But, well, first make sure they'll take us with you, and it'd be nice if we could tell Mum and Dad what's goin' on."

He kissed her on the forehead. "My thoughts, exactly," he told her with a smile. He addressed their all-powerfulnesses again. "No resistance intended, but I'd like to take my wife and family with me, and our ship, and we'd like to let the folks back home know where we're going, first."

There was a quieter murmur than before. Then, "Granted. Return to your TARDIS, make your communication, but be warned. If you deviate from your word, you will suffer the consequences."

"Oh, question," the Doctor said. "How do you know about the Time Lords, and how, exactly, are you going to send us across to another universe? Do you even know which one? I mean--"

Another blinding flash of light, and they were left standing in front of the TARDIS.

"Now who's rude?" he asked Rose.

--

A quick superphone goodbye to Jackie and Pete, another call to Tony at university, and the Smiths' TARDIS was whisked away, through, across, between, or whatever appropriate preposition described their relation to the void. However the Omnipotens managed it, Rose and the Doctor were back in their home universe--with a seventeen-, fifteen-, and ten-year-old in tow.

--

To be continued.

And as for my reviewers' questions about Rose and the journal, let me just say that JeMS7 was the first to being closest to hitting the nail on the head; but it's still probably not what you think! :)


	3. Age Old Questions

There's a more traditional time gap between the next few chapters. Enjoy!

--

Chapter 3, Age Old Questions

Rose absolutely _loved_ this TARDIS. There was just something about her.

Maybe it was how much more organic this TARDIS was. The Doctor had inflicted much less machinery upon this ship, muttering about how arrogant and unfair the Time Lords had been. Of course, he did install a chameleon circuit, but disconnected it as soon as the new TARDIS had assumed the familiar police box appearance.

Maybe it was because she was an offshoot of the other Doctor's TARDIS. Rose had felt like the ship recognized her, long before the growing coral could really be called a ship.

The kids were rather fond of her, as well. When Rose had been pregnant with Emily, she would sit beside the TARDIS seedling, singing to both of them. With John, Jr., she would sit inside the tiny would-be console room. Susan was actually born in the TARDIS' med bay (the Doctor had begun equipping the ship long before she was ready to travel).

And the Doctor, well, he was just as in love with his ship as he'd ever been.

Still, along with Rose's affection for the ship came a good bit of protectiveness. So, when they suddenly found themselves transported back to their home universe, she had to ask.

"Is the TARDIS gonna be alright here?" The Doctor looked up at her. "I mean, travellin' in a different universe an' all," Rose explained.

"Oh, she'll be fine!" he told her, as he zipped around the console, checking readings. "The old TARDIS couldn't travel in Pete's world, because she'd never been calibrated for it. But this girl," he said, affectionately patting a support strut, "even though she's used to Pete's world, she came from the old TARDIS, so she knows her way around."

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Really? Just like that?" she asked.

"Yup," he told her. "Think of it kind of like genetic memory. She knows basically everything her parent TARDIS did. Well," he paused, scratching his ear, "at least when it comes to the instinctual stuff, like the nature of time and space peculiar to this particular universe."

Rose noticed he still spent several hours going over every readout he could find, making sure the TARDIS was ready to travel. When he finally finished, he asked, "Ready to visit some old friends?"

--

Rose was impressed. They'd landed in Cardiff just as gently as ever. It certainly helped having four capable pilots at the controls. In a few more years, little Sue would be able to join in as well.

Just as the Doctor had activated the scanner, a knocking sounded from the TARDIS' doors. Since it was followed shortly thereafter by a key in the lock, Rose figured they'd landed fairly on-target.

The doors opened, and one Captain Jack Harkness strolled up the ramp. "Hey, Doctor, Donn--" He abruptly halted, apparently only just taking in his surroundings, and the individuals around the console. "Rose?!" he exclaimed at last.

--

"How long's it been for you, then?" Mickey asked once they were all assembled within the Hub. He and Martha had joined Jack for a quick tour of the new TARDIS, and had been introduced to their "nieces" and "nephew".

"'Bout eighteen years, right?" Rose answered, turning to the Doctor for confirmation.

"Eighteen years, three months, four d--" Rose elbowed him, "according to Pete's world time," he concluded. Her half-human husband was always eager to demonstrate that he was also half-Time Lord.

Martha spoke up. "But it's only been, like, four months here. From what Mickey told us, time doesn't move that fast over there, does it?"

The Doctor shook his head. "There's no exact ratio to describe it, but no, it's not that drastic. We travelled to this point in time once we crossed over."

"It's so weird seeing you old," Jack told the Doctor.

"Who's old?" he asked, as if offended.

"I mean, compared to the other you," he explained. "And, by the way, Rose, you look great," he told her with a grin that she'd missed. "But you, Doctor, how come you look like you're the same age as her?"

"Yeah," answered Rose, "we noticed that. We figure he's aging about a third as fast as I am."

"So," said Martha, "when you're eighty, he'll only be, what--"

"About fifty-five, as far as appearances go," the Doctor answered.

"Wow," said Jack. Mickey just shook his head.

"It's not as bad as it sounds," Rose told them. They'd caught on to the aging difference a while back, so she'd had time to adjust. "I always thought men looked their best in their fifties," she said with a wink at her husband. "I mean, yeah, most likely, I'll still outlive him." The Doctor took her hand. "But he'll have the kids; he won't be alone."

"What about them?" Mickey asked. "Are they, like, human?"

"_'They'_ are about three-quarters human," Em answered. "But if you mean aging-wise, we don't know for sure. So far we're just like normal, except in the intelligence department."

The Doctor took over, after giving their daughter a look that Rose recognized as meaning, _Yes, you've made your point, now shut up._ "They've grown at a normal human rate," he explained, "but their intellect's developed at about twice that. I suspect that their aging might slow as well, once they're fully mature."

"So, Sue's really twenty?" Martha asked, incredulously. Rose looked down at her youngest daughter, who'd fallen asleep against her side.

"Intellectually," Rose answered, "doesn't mean emotionally."

"But enough about us," the Doctor said. "What's my doppelganger been up to?"

Jack smiled. "Oh, the usual, flying around the universe with--" he cut off, as a familiar noise filled the Hub. "Well, speak of the devil," he said, as they all turned to see a second TARDIS materializing.

--

To be continued.


	4. To Thine Own Self Be True

Chapter 4, To Thine Own Self Be True

The Doctor watched his other self walk around the new TARDIS' console room. The full Time Lord looked so young, he thought. Or, maybe he really had just gotten old. Well, old-_er_. He only looked about forty-three-ish, after all.

Donna was with Rose, showing the kids around the old TARDIS. He couldn't blame the old Doctor for not being entirely eager to get acquainted with his not-quite-would've-been children.

"But, how?" The old Doctor--that is, the first, or, Tenth Doctor--asked again.

"Haven't the foggiest," answered the Doctor--the new Doctor (who looked older), or half-human Doctor, you might say.

"They just sent you back?" the old Doctor asked.

"Kicked us right out," the Doctor told him. "Said they wouldn't tolerate Time Lord interference, and then, 'poof'." He made a nice, explosive kind of magical gesture with his hands, just to further indicate the strangeness of the whole affair.

He took a seat on one of the couches (no captain's chair in this TARDIS), and watched as the old Doctor took it in.

Finally, the old Doctor leaned back against the console, facing him. "So, what's your plan, now?" he asked.

The Doctor shrugged. "Same old life, exploring the universe. Only, this time I'll have a better idea of what I'm leading them into."

The old Doctor nodded. "Planning on, well, keeping in touch?" he asked, hesitantly.

The Doctor couldn't help but wince. "Might be a bit awkward," he admitted. The old Doctor gave him a grim "you think?" smile. "Still, I suppose for the sake of the universe, we should be _able_ to get a hold of each other in case of emergencies. Wouldn't exactly be a paradox or anything if we were to cross paths."

"I suppose," conceded the old Doctor.

They were silent for a few moments, then the Doctor asked, "How's Donna? How'd she find you again?"

The old Doctor smiled. "Oh, she's just brilliant. She had dreams," he explained, "dreams about all her adventures. Eventually, she got in touch with Torchwood, and they called me. Somehow--don't ask me how--the dreams allowed her mind to process the memories without burning up. She's lost the Time Lord consciousness, but she has all of the other memories."

"That'd be Rose's doing," the Doctor said with pride, enjoying the shocked look on the old Doctor's face. "Just after you left us, she dreamt about the Gamestation again. Apparently, Bad Wolf did quite a thorough job of tweaking things just the way she wanted them--including building in some barriers in Donna's mind, just so that she'd recover."

The old Doctor smiled again. "Rose," he said, quietly. Then, quite seriously, "She's happy, isn't she?"

The Doctor could quite clearly read the real question in his face. _She's forgiven me, hasn't she?_ "She understood why we did what we did," he told him. "Her only worry was that you'd be taken care of, and yes, she's happy."

He told him about their life, how they'd gotten married as soon as they could, how he worked with Rose at Torchwood while the TARDIS was growing (he'd gotten access to lots of interesting gadgets for the ship that way), about the kids, and about their brief travels in the other universe.

He even explained what they'd discovered about his aging, but assured the old Doctor that it was nothing to complain about--especially now that they weren't settled down anymore with neighbors and the like asking questions.

And then, just because he somehow felt like he should be completely honest, he mentioned the journal.

"It's Rose's?" the old Doctor asked, incredulous.

"It's not as full, and not as old-looking, but it's definitely the same journal. She hasn't written in it since before we were married, but she uses it to tell stories to the kids."

The old Doctor looked hard at him for a few moments. "She said I'd never looked so young," he said quietly, and the Doctor knew just who "she" was.

"I'd wondered about that," said the Doctor. "I mean, I didn't age back then. How could I look older? And it was like she was used to me looking older or younger each time we met, not just a tiny bit older from wearing out a single regeneration."

"So, it's you she'll meet, not me," said the old Doctor.

"We'll see," the Doctor told him.

"Let me know?" the old Doctor asked.

"So, you _do_ want to keep in touch?" the Doctor joked.

The old Doctor smiled, "Well, she was a bit of a mystery," he admitted.

"I'll say," agreed the Doctor. "I still can't figure it all out, even knowing what I do now."

"I suppose," began the old Doctor, "you've told Rose our name?"

The Doctor nodded. "It's still mine, just as much as yours," he said, and couldn't help the defensive tone in his voice.

But the old Doctor assured him, "No, no, it is. And hers, more so."

"Absolutely," agreed the Doctor. "And I can't imagine ever telling anyone else," he said.

"We'll see," the old Doctor told him.

--

To be continued.

Hmm . . . any more guesses about Rose and River, or are you all just gonna wait and see? ;)


	5. Lovely Name

Another bit of a time jump, here . . . .

--

Chapter 5, Lovely Name

Jack mentally kicked himself as he ran, knowing he should have listened to the Doctor.

He'd spent so many years in the twenty-first century, getting Torchwood to the point where he felt safe leaving it on its own. Now, Jack had finally decided to take up Rose and the Doctor on their offer to travel in the TARDIS on a slightly more permanent basis.

Unfortunately for him at the moment, Jack had eventually asked to revisit the _fifty_-first century, just to do a little investigating.

He hadn't found any Time Agents at all, but he had run into a rather nasty bunch of more common criminals, who were at this moment hot on his tail.

Oh, and he'd freed about two dozen orphans from their black market orphanage.

One of the children, Orphan Three Alpha Six Alpha Rho Five, or Tri-A-Six for short, was at his side, leading him through the twists and turns of the strange city. He had no idea where the Doctor had dropped him, but Tri-A-Six was more than familiar with the layout, having spent all of her early life on the streets before being picked up by the ne'er-do-wells who had been running the child market.

She stopped at the end of the alley, and Jack was relieved to see she'd navigated her way right to the edge of the square where the TARDIS was parked. "C'mon," he told her, "almost home."

Tri-A-Six shook her head. "You're gonna take all of us in that little box?" she asked. "Or d'you expect me to leave 'em behind, 'cause I'm not."

Jack looked back at the gaggle of orphans now crammed into the alley behind them. "They're all coming," he said. "Trust me, there's plenty of room."

Tri-A-Six looked at him for a moment then turned to make her way to the rear of the group. "Go ahead, then," she called back. "I'll follow."

For a split second, Jack was reminded of Nancy, the young girl he'd met during his first adventure with the Doctor. Just like her, Tri-A-Six had taken these younger, abandoned children under her wing. Of course, Tri-A-Six really was as young as she seemed. And she had unbelievably curly hair, rather than Nancy's plaits. And--she was staring at him, waiting for him to get a move on.

Jack dashed towards the TARDIS, only just avoiding a pile-up at the doors from the press of the children behind him. He flung the doors inwards, and led the orphans up the ramp, into the console room.

The Doctor and his eldest daughter, Emily, were the only other ones in the room at the moment, and both were on their feet with matching expressions of surprise on their faces.

The Doctor recovered the soonest. "No Time Agents, then?" he asked Jack.

"Ah, no," Jack told him, urging the kids to clear the doorway and make room for more to enter.

Tri-A-Six was the last in, and Jack moved past her to close the doors. "Doctor, Em," he said, turning back to the console, and ushering the eldest orphan forward. "I'd like you to meet Tri--"

"River Song?" the Doctor asked, apparently shocked, once again.

Huh? Jack turned to see a grinning Tri-A-Six at his side. "Well," she said, "never had a proper name, but that'll do."

--

To be continued.

A bit short, perhaps, but I thought I'd give all of you loyal readers some more to chew on. Are things becoming a bit less mysterious? Or just more confusing? Yes, I know I still have lots more loose ends to tie up, but I've got it all planned out . . . .


	6. The Doctor Dances

_Set about a fortnight after River's arrival on the TARDIS...._

_Unbeta'd, for now._

--

**Chapter 6, The Doctor Dances**

"'The Doctor grew quiet, as though he were lookin' deep within his own mind, then he suddenly jumped an' set the TARDIS' controls. "Got him," he told me. "We're on his ship, oh, about ninety seconds before the bomb's gonna go off." His smile was back, bigger than ever. I tried to head towards the doors, but he caught me by the hand."He can find his own way in," he told me, openin' the TARDIS' doors from the console while he switched on some music. Apparently, it was time for another dance lesson, an' he seemed to need all the help he could get. While we stumbled around the console, I looked out through the open doors. He had landed us on Jack's ship, just like he'd said, but Jack wasn't payin' us much attention. "Well?" I called, "hurry up, then!" The Captain quickly joined us on the TARDIS, and just like that, the two had become a trio.

"'We couldn't have known it then, but as fantastic as our time together would be, it wouldn't last nearly long enough. When you run with the Doctor, it feels like it'll never end. But however hard you try, you can't run forever. Everybody knows that everybody dies, and nobody knows it like the Doctor. But I do think that all the skies of all the worlds might just turn dark, if he ever, for one moment, accepts it.

"'Everybody knows that everybody dies. But not every day. Some days are special. Some days are so, so blessed. Some days, nobody dies at all. Now and then, every once in a very long while, every day in a million days, when the wind stands fair, and the Doctor comes to call, everybody lives.'"

River watched as Rose closed her journal and stood to give Sue a kiss. Then, she came over to River's bed and kissed her forehead as well, before moving to the doorway.

"Now, go to sleep," Rose said, "and tomorrow night you can hear all about--"

"The glass pyramid of San Kaloon!" Sue finished for her.

"G'night, girls," said Rose, smiling.

"G'night, Mum," replied Sue.

"G'night, Rose," River said, settling against her pillow.

The TARDIS dimmed the lights automatically as Rose left, closing the door behind her.

River looked over at Sue, and saw what must be a mirror of her own smile on the girl's face. "How many times have you heard these stories?" River asked.

"I think that was the forty-second time I've heard that one," Sue answered. "We've gone through the whole journal fewer times than that, but I've asked for that one a bit more." She sat up, grinning, and whispered, "It's kinda scary, but it's so romantic. That's the first time Mum and Dad danced, and I just never get tired of it."

River sat up as well, keeping her voice conspiratorially low. "What did that mean, the last part about their time being short? They're all still here, the Doctor, and Rose, and Captain Jack."

Sue smiled. "It's a very, _very_ long story," she said, "but back when Mum was writing the journal she didn't think she'd ever see the Captain _or_ Dad again. But she found them, obviously." She grinned, then, just like her mother. "An' I'm not gonna tell you how until we get to that part."

River stuck her tongue out at Sue, a childish gesture she never would have allowed herself before becoming a part of this family. They both laid back down, and River retreated into her own thoughts.

The best decision River had ever made was easily staying behind when the other children had been dropped off at their homes or new orphanages. The Doctor had been the one to invite her, and she had happily agreed. After all, it's not every day that you find a bigger-on-the-inside ship that can travel through time and space, let alone a family that already has kids and is willing to take on one more.

River had quickly realized that just as impressive as the TARDIS was the Doctor himself. She could hardly believe Rose's stories were all true, but everyone aboard assured her that they were. It was difficult at first to reconcile the Doctor of the stories with the man she had met. Neither he, nor Rose, nor Captain Jack liked to talk much about themselves, but bit by bit she was piecing together the answers to the mysteries.

The Doctor was a Time Lord. That much was spelled out in Rose's very first story about meeting him. What that meant, exactly, was a bit murkier.

Physically, although he looked perfectly human, the Doctor had two hearts, which Rose said was one of the reasons the Doctor had been examined in the museum with the Dalek.

He could also change his appearance, somehow. That one River had to pry out of Rose after the same Dalek story. Rose had written about the Doctor's reluctance to have a pretty boy tag along, and about how hypocritical it was considering his "new form". River had gotten her to explain the barest details of regeneration, but Rose wouldn't say how or when it had happened, and warned her that the Doctor didn't like to talk about it.

There were lots of other details in the stories, hinting at things far beyond the scope of the world River had known. It was incredible to her to think that she was now a part of it all. She had already visited six new worlds! She wondered how much she'd see in the future, how much she'd learn about the universe... and how long it could all possibly last.

"You can't run forever," Rose had written. That might be true, but River was determined to make the most of every step along the way.

--

To be continued.

Thanks to everyone who took the time to answer my poll about this story. Since it was pretty much a tie between those who want answers now and those who don't want any, I've decided to take the third option. The last chapter will be a little answer key, spelling out the parts of this story that directly address questions from "Silence in the Library" and "Forest of the Dead". In the meantime, good luck figuring everything out!


	7. Course Corrections

_My most sincere apologies! It seems I haven't updated this story since February. Go figure, that's about the same time my son was born...._

_Anyway, here's the next installment. And it's nice and long :) Enjoy!_

_Beta'd by the wonderful GSRgirlforever._

--

**Chapter 7 - Course Corrections**

"Please, Daddy? Please, please, please, Daddy? Plee-ease, Daddy?"

River chuckled silently as the Doctor and Emily passed by the door to the library. Em had been after him all morning, on top of the past week of pleading.

"Maybe when you're older," River heard the Doctor reply.

"I'm nineteen!" Em shouted, indignantly.

"As of thirty-six hours ago," the Doctor answered.

John, Jr. caught River's eye from across the table. With a grin, he whispered, "She'd better not mess things up and make it harder for me when it's my turn."

A throat-clearing from his mother instantly sent Jack back to his studies. "Okay, Sue," Rose said, resuming the lesson with her youngest daughter with hardly a pause, "From the beginning."

As Sue closed her eyes and began the recitation of the TARDIS console controls, River turned her attention back to her book.

When River had first seen the TARDIS' library, she thought she could easily spend the rest of her life reading. But she had been wrong. Of course, there was no possible way for her to ever finish the volumes upon volumes that it held, but that wasn't the point. Every new book she read filled her with a desire to see each world it described first-hand. Thank goodness the TARDIS could help her do just that. River thought she'd go insane if she were ever stuck in a single time and place ever again.

Just now, River was immersed in a mythological account from seventy-eighth century earth, of all places. It was, strangely enough, an account of her native time (albeit highly romanticized, at least to her mind). It was quite amusing to see how warped history could get in twenty-seven centuries.

It amazed her that even on one world, the knowledge, history and culture could shift so drastically from generation to generation. How could even someone like the Doctor ever really grasp it all? He might spend the rest of his lives visiting all the planets in the universe, but there was no way even he could experience a significant sampling of each culture in each age of each world.

--As River herself had discovered, when they landed a couple of hundred years off from the Doctor's previous visit to Monshalla.

Accidents in time and space aside, River wondered which she'd prefer. To flit about the galaxies, only barely touching on the myriads of peoples and cultures, or to really get to know and understand the development of a single world....

"Great," Rose told Sue, bringing River out of her musings. "Now, go tell Em to give your Dad a break, and show him what you know."

With a put-upon, sighed, "Yes, Mum," Susan left the library.

River watched her go, then asked, "Rose?"

"Yeah?" her adopted Mum answered, straightening up the papers and books she'd been using.

"In all your travelling, I mean in your stories, you never really stayed anywhere for long, did you?" River asked.

"Well, there's a lot more that happened than what I wrote down," Rose told her. "An' I did a whole lot of sittin' around after what's in the journal, I can promise you."

River hadn't quite gotten to the end of the journal, yet. Rose had insisted that Sue let her hear the stories in order, and they'd only gotten up to the part with the Absrobaloff. "Well, yeah, but you never really spent the time to get to know a place, did you?" River asked. "And that's another thing, all the things you left out, and what you've been doing since then, and us travelling now, who's keeping track of that?"

John, Jr. chuckled. "You volunteering to be the TARDIS' historical officer?" he asked River with a smile.

River glanced at him, afraid he was making fun of her, but his smile seemed kind.

Rose smiled, too. "I wasn't tryin' to create any historical document, at the time," she said. "Travellin' with the Doctor was more about the way we lived, not the details about what we did. I was just writin' to try and put things in perspective."

River tried to digest this, wondering why it suddenly just didn't sit right. Was she just being childish? Afraid of getting to the end of the book and there not being any more?

"I think it's a good idea," John, Jr. announced.

River looked up at him, surprised. "Really, Jack?" she asked.

"Well, yeah," he said, a little uncertainly. "Like you said, Mum," he told Rose, "maybe it'd help put things in perspective. It couldn't do any harm, and at the worst we'd have something to laugh over at Christmas."

River couldn't help being hurt that he really did think it was a joke.

It apparently showed on her face, because he quickly added, "I didn't mean it like that. River?"

She raised her eyes from the table.

"I mean we could all look back on the year, if we had some kind of a record beyond memory and the TARDIS' log," he explained. "It's really a good idea."

He gave River what she mentally labeled "the dreaded puppy dog eyes", and she smiled.

"There's plenty of room left in my journal," Rose volunteered, "if you want."

"What, me?" River asked. "Write in the journal? Really?"

--

The Doctor had allowed himself to be corralled into the console room, but only because he'd hoped the Captain might help him out.

"Please, Daddy?" Em continued. "Oh, hi, Cap'n! Please, please, Daddy?"

"Jack," the Doctor greeted with a pleading look of his own.

"Em, Doc," Jack Harkness replied with an annoying smile. The Doctor doubted he would actually be getting any assistance. "Getting ready for your first solo?" he asked the Doctor's eldest child.

No assistance, whatsoever.

Em giggled, and repeated her earlier argument. "I've passed all of Dad's tests, and I even caught that last-minute deviation en route to Zog that--" she turned to point an accusing finger at her father, "_you_ missed!"

"And who says it wasn't just another test?" the Doctor countered.

Em just rolled her eyes while the Captain ineffectually hid a snicker.

"It's still too early to solo," the Doctor told her. She got that stubborn look he'd come to fear from her mother, but he continued. "You haven't flown with fewer than two other pilots, why should you suddenly do it on your own?"

"Because I can!" Em pleaded. "You know I can, I just need the chance without you doing everything for me. And what if there were an emergency?" she asked. "Isn't it a bit of a risk that you're the only one who _has_ piloted the TARDIS solo?"

"Out of necessity," the Doctor answered calmly. Perhaps a little too camly. Jack stood up, and Em blanched.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "But still, I'm right. Cap'n Jack's good enough to help, but he can't fly on his own. You need us, and I'm ready, I am, but you need to let me try."

The Doctor mulled this over for a moment, before the Captain spoke up. "What if you did try with just one other pilot?" he suggested to Em. She shot him a betrayed look, and he raised his hands defensively. "Just a suggestion."

"He won't _let_ me do anything!" Em answered, pointing at the Doctor again. "I'd be lucky to control one full section of the console with him bouncing around doing everything important."

"I do not bounce," the Doctor put in.

"I didn't mean him," the Captain answered, then looked to the Doctor. "What If I helped her?" he asked. "I could keep my hands to myself unless something went really wrong."

Em was apparently shocked silent, and watched her father with the most hopeful expression he'd ever seen on his little girl's face.

The Captain gave the Doctor a small shrug, encouraging him to make the concession.

She was nearly perfect on every test the Doctor had given her. She certainly knew the console blindfolded, upside down, and backwards. Her time sense was impeccable, if slightly dulled by being part human--but even he couldn't fault her for that. There really wasn't any reason to deny her request, aside from giving her the satisfaction of winning the argument, having to sit on his hands while his TARDIS was flown, and, of course, the possibility of losing his little girl to her own TARDIS (which was secretly growing in the TARDIS nursery...).

The Doctor was just about to deflect the whole issue again, making some flippant comment about the Captain keeping his hands to himself, when they were blissfully interrupted.

"Daddy, I'm ready!" a new voice ironically announced from the corridor.

"Susan!" the Doctor answered, choosing option C: delay.

--

Rose had left the library after putting Susan's books away, intent on making some tea. She loved spending time with her kids, but lessons lately had been giving her a headache.

River was easier to deal with, she mused, as she made her way to the kitchen. When the Doctor set her a lesson, Rose would often try and learn it along with her. Like they'd just been talking about, it provided Rose with a fresh perspective. It was much better than the studies she'd undertaken in Pete's world. From motivation to subject matter, she'd been entirely on her own. Now, she had a fellow time-traveler to share with. Alright, a fellow _human_ time-traveler. Okay, a fellow human time traveler who was within a hundred years of her own age.

It kept her thirst for learning alive, instead of letting herself be intimidated by her biological offspring's superior intellects.

Speaking of her little Time Lord hybrids, it seemed they shared their father's attention span. A particularly large tome that the Doctor had asked Em to memorize lay abandoned on the kitchen table. With a sigh, Rose started the kettle and returned to the library with the wayward book.

Young Jack and River were still at the table, but only River appeared to be studying. Jack was lounging back in his chair, book perched on his lap, but he wasn't reading. He was watching River.

_Curious_, Rose thought with a small smile. She stepped into the room and dropped Em's book on the table. At the sound, Jack and River jumped, but only her son blushed._ Very curious._

"Want anything?" Rose asked before leaving once again. "I'm makin' some tea," she offered.

"No, thanks," River said, returning to her book. Jack just shook his head, and buried himself in his own lesson.

Rose's grin was firmly in place as she returned down the corridor, until her stomach rumbled and her headache flared just a bit. _Tea_, she thought. _Tea and nice, dry biscuits_.

--

_To be continued._


End file.
